Madison Keys’ coach names the WTA player he thinks has the potential to be world number one if she stays fit
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Madison Keys took Melbourne by storm earlier this year, as she won the Australian Open title in thrilling fashion.
The American WTA Tour star grabbed all the headlines in January as she put on a tennis masterclass at Melbourne Park.
Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka in a spectacular final, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, in front of a packed-out Rod Laver Arena.
There was more to her Australian Open story than the final, however, as the 29-year-old took down several top stars during her stint down under.
Iga Swiatek, Elina Svitolina, and Danielle Collins were all seeded in Melbourne but were no match for Keys who powered her way into the final.
There was another player who Keys beat in Australia, however, that her coach has now picked as a ‘potential number one’.
Madison Keys’ coach Bjorn Fratangelo thinks Elena Rybakina can become world number one
Appearing as a guest on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Keys’ coach Bjorn Fratangelo gave his thoughts on a WTA star who could reach the very top.
“I think starting with the [Elena] Rybakina match, she is so good,” he said.
“If she could, I don’t know, get healthy, play a full schedule, and whatever is going on, if that could be put behind her, she could potentially be number one.
“She is just so pure a ball striker, serve is amazing.
“I don’t think her net game gets enough love, she has pretty sound volleys when she is up there.”
Fratangelo went on to say that he was happy to see Keys make her way past the Kazakh star.
“But Madi [Keys] played her way through it and we never brought it up about her draw,” he said.
Keys beat Rybakina in three sets to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, securing her third career win over the 25-year-old.
The pair contested a classic on Margaret Court Arena, as very little separated them over three sets.
It was arguably Keys’ second serve that saw the American edge the encounter, as her Kazakh rival struggled to win points behind hers.
| Name | Aces | Double faults | First serve % | Win % on 1st serve | Win % on second serve | Receiving points won | Points won |
| Madison Keys | 4 | 6 | 70 | 61 | 62 | 37 | 88 |
| Elena Rybakina | 3 | 6 | 56 | 73 | 41 | 38 | 86 |
Has Elena Rybakina ever been close to reaching world number one?
Rybakina is currently ranked fifth in the world, but has she ever come close to the coveted number one spot?
In early January 2024, the 25-year-old returned to her career high of number three, but remained a fair way off Swiatek who at the time held top spot.
| Rank | Name | Points | Points gap to number one |
| 1 | Iga Swiatek | 9,880 | – |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | 8,905 | 975 |
| 3 | Elena Rybakina | 6,918 | 2,962 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | 6,660 | 3,220 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | 6,065 | 3,185 |
Just under 3,000 points separated Rybakina and Swiatek in January 2024, a gap that has widened since, with the Kazakh currently 4,072 points off of the world number one ranking.
Worryingly for Rybakina, that number could increase later this week, as she defends 500 points from her 2024 Abu Dhabi Open title.
She’ll be looking to defend her title, but may not have had the best preparation in the lead up to the event as controversy continues to follow the 25-year-old.
Rybakina recently split with Goran Ivanisevic, who had joined her coaching team at the end of 2024.
The move comes after Rybakina re-hired Stefano Vukov, her former coach who is currently serving a provisional suspension from the WTA Tour, while an investigation into his behavior continues.
It was reported by some that Ivanisevic had not been made aware of the decision to re-hire Vukov, with the pair ending their working relationship following the 2025 Australian Open.
Ahead of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open, Rybakina added Italian Davide Sanguinetti to her team, as she gets set to defend her title in the Middle East.
Rybakina will begin her title defense in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday 5, as she takes on America’s Katie Volynets.
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